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Rossi has potential to be frontrunner in sportscar racing says Vosse

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has the potential to be a frontrunner in sportscar racing following his retirement from two-wheel competition, according to WRT team boss Vincent Vosse.

Valentino Rossi, WRT Audi R8 GT3 LMS

Vosse made the claim after Rossi tested one of WRT's Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos at Valencia last week and revealed that he is working towards running the seven-time MotoGP world champion in the Pro class of next year's GT World Challenge Europe.

"Valentino is a legendary rider, but he is also impressive as a driver," Vosse told Autosport.

"His approach and his feedback mean I am sure he would be competitive.

"I don't see him being anything other than competitive.

"He is a silver-rated driver because he has only done four or five car races, but my goal is to put him in a Pro car."

Vosse explained that the test last Thursday at the end of three days of running at the Spanish track by WRT was set up to "investigate if we want to work together in the future".

"I am very interested in having him in the team; I would love to run him in one of our cars," he continued.

"Everything is open; let's say we are in discussion."

Valentino Rossi, Vincent Vosse, WRT Audi

Valentino Rossi, Vincent Vosse, WRT Audi

Photo by: Ferdi Kräling Motorsport-Bild GmbH

No details or times of Rossi's test have been released by WRT, but Vosse confirmed that the Italian got "a full day in the car" on Thursday.

The Audi Rossi drove at Valencia ran #46, the number he carried throughout his world championship motorcycling career starting in 1996.

Vosse didn't rule out Rossi being part of WRT's LMP2 squad, but stressed that discussions for the moment centred on the Belgian team's GT3 operation.

He confirmed that he is aiming for similar GTWCE programme in 2022 as this year: WRT ran four cars in the Endurance Cup segment of the series and three in the Sprint Cup.

Rossi, 42, has announced he is planning to switch full-time to cars next year following the end of his two-wheel career at the end of the 2021 MotoGP season.

The next stage of his motorsport career will begin early next month with his third assault on the Gulf 12 Hours enduro in Abu Dhabi.

Rossi will race a Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo with fellow countrymen Luca Marini and Alessio Salucci in the two six-hour races that make up the event around the Yas Marina circuit on 8 January.

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